A compelling exploration of one of the most ill-advised and calamitous interventions in colonial development history.

Introduction
Austerity
A Scheme is Born
"The Poison of the Official Pen ..."
The Groundnut Army
Beating about the Bush
The Overseas Food Corporation
1949: The Crisis
The Last Chance
A Sudden Death
Legacy and Lessons

Nicholas Westcott is Director of the Royal African Society and Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. His previous posts include Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa, and prior to that Managing Director for Africa, European External Action Service (EU), Brussels.